Air India’s first, business class revamp a waste unless upgrades for netas, babus end

The Maharaja is majorly upgrading his business and first class facilities at a substantial expense from July 11 to be at par with fellow Star members.

NEW DELHI: Will Air India's entry into Star Alliance from July 11 finally achieve the impossible? Clamp the brakes on free upgrades that netas, babus, other influential people and their kin have enjoyed for years by buying the cheapest economy tickets but getting 'bumped' up to business or first class. Or check the age-old practice of AI employees filling up these seats?

The Maharaja is majorly upgrading his business and first class facilities at a substantial expense from July 11 to be at par with fellow blue blooded Star members like Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa. Now unless the practice of free upgrades of the well-connected (not commercially important persons who all airlines upgrade) is stopped, all this expense will be a total waste — at the cost of tax-payers funding the airline's survival.

Introducing the uber luxury factor in premium classes includes a complete revamp of meal service with Oberoi, arguably India's finest in flight caterer, being asked to serve three-course meals on all international flights. The wine list is getting a major facelift too. And first and business travelers will be given a red carpet treatment at five airports to begin — Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad.

"Catering for first and business class will be done by Oberoi from July 11 on our international flights. Both meal content and presentation will get an upgrade. Business class will now have a three-course meal instead of the current practice of serving everything — starter, meal and dessert — in one go," said AI chief Rohit Nandan, while promising the best service to economy passengers also.

Now who actually enjoys these benefits — premium full-paying passengers of Star and AI or the used-to-freebies politicians, bureaucrats, the well-connected and their kin — has actually become a million dollar question.

Almost every day the aviation ministry gets dozens of letters from everyone who is a someone to get upgraded on AI flights. "All aviation ministers have routinely obliged fellow politicos and the ministry's bureaucrats have similarly helped fellow babus and their families. Our own staff feels belittled if not accommodated in the premium classes — a section of pilots went on strike on this issue! This needs to be checked now," said a well meaning official who has long frowned at these practices but was so far helpless due to reckless ministry interference in all governments till UPA-II. Whether NDA-II proves to be different remains to be seen.

The reason for the official's fear is not hard to guess. Star frequent flyers will now automatically be booked on AI flights for travel within India as well as its international flights. Now if a foreigner or NRI paying thousands of dollars to travel in business or first class on Star airlines does not get a similar feel — and company — on AI's premium classes, he or she will rightly feel cheated.

The wine menu is also being upgraded in the premium classes. This is being done to have a parity of service with the renowned airlines AI is in the alliance with. Star Alliance has made it clear from start that it may go in for a second member airline from India. Any complaints from its premium frequent flyers about AI's business or first class may prompt Star to do it faster.

Sources say in flight service standards, aircraft cleanliness and on time performance are areas that AI can no longer be casual about. Clearly, the Star membership is as much a challenge for AI as an opportunity to revive itself.